Uniforms of the Waffen SS
Under Uniforms of the Waffen-SS , the uniforms of the armed SS units formed after 1935 are described.
These armed SS units were given the name Waffen SS after the attack on Poland . Since mid-1940 it was organizationally independent and was under the direct command of Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler .
The SS and all its subdivisions, with the exception of the Reiter-SS , were banned as a criminal organization in 1945 and dissolved, and their property was confiscated. In the Federal Republic of Germany, with all its subdivisions, it is one of the unconstitutional organizations within the meaning of Section 86 of the Criminal Code . Their symbols and marks , including parts of their uniforms, are subject to the prohibition of distribution under Section 86a of the Criminal Code.
Uniforms of the SS disposal troops and the Waffen SS
Black service uniform of the available troops
Service uniforms of the available troops
The black uniform of the SS disposal troop corresponds to the uniform of the General SS . Deviations in the uniforms consisted only in the fact that the later available troops did not wear shoulder boards on their "service uniforms" until 1934.
However, since the party official " Reichszeugmeisterei (RZM)" was not able to adequately equip the available troops with the appropriate uniforms until around 1939, they finally supplied themselves with (older) uniforms from army stocks. These gray field uniforms of the Wehrmacht were similar in style to the uniforms of the SS. Only these had two hooks on the tunic to close the collar (instead of the mandatory one) and an additional 5th button on the button placket. Also, the side pockets were not - as prescribed in the SS - at an angle, but straight off.
The gray army uniforms were dyed black and given the corresponding SS insignia. Alternatively, military troop officers often had their uniforms made by private tailors that also supplied the Wehrmacht. These uniforms were then also made in the "Wehrmacht style".
In May 1934, the single shoulder piece of the General SS was introduced into the disposal force. As usual throughout the SS, this was initially only worn on the right side of the shoulder.
The ranks of the crew wore black leather cartridge pouches for the German standard rifle K 98k with their regular belt and shoulder straps .
But the shoulder strap proved to be a hindrance for military purposes, so it was eventually omitted. This practice was unofficial until the spring of 1940. The formal "SS order" to remove the shoulder strap did not take place until May 1940.
Until the beginning of the war on 1 September 1939 next to this black service uniform were also various entertainment suits , dress uniforms , company suits and white summer skirts of crew and officer ranks output.
Depending on the length of service or origin of a member of the available troops, a large number of arm angles could be worn on the uniform.
Members of the available troops, who were trained for administrative service in the SS's own "SS-Verwaltungsschule" in Dachau before the war, wore a sleeve strip with the inscription " SS-Verwaltungsschule Dachau " with their regular black uniform .
Up to the renaming of the available troops to “Waffen-SS”, all “SS applicants” were forbidden to wear any SS insignia during their basic training in the available troops. The only exception was the swastika armband of the SS (however, since November 25, 1934, SS candidates temporarily accepted into the SS were entitled to wear the SS collar tabs without piping on their uniforms. This practice was later also adopted by the Waffen- SS retained.)
In 1937, instead of the so-called “Lettow shirt” (the official party shirt of the NSDAP ), new brown and white jersey shirts were introduced that could be worn side by side as equals.
Headgear
Steel helmet
The members of the available troops usually only wore a black-lacquered steel helmet (model 1916 or RZM model 1932) in their “on-site service” . The black peaked cap was worn as a "service cap" on all occasions when the steel helmet was not expressly required. On November 1, 1935, these models were officially replaced by the current Wehrmacht steel helmet (M35) and delivered to the SS disposable troops in early 1936. But since the production and delivery of the SS variant was delayed and started very slowly, all models were still worn at the same time until March 31, 1941. From April 1, 1941, all obsolete helmets were finally withdrawn. The 1916 and RZM models remained with replacement and backup units of the SS.
Before the war, the steel helmet was manufactured with a smooth surface and had a field-gray, semi-matt finish. It was expressly forbidden by the SS leadership to change this paintwork by polishing or greasing it. In May 1940, the steel helmet was produced with a roughened surface and slate gray paint.
The Wehrmacht also took over the habit of whitening steel helmets with white chalk, thereby creating a winter camouflage.
In September 1935, heraldic shields were first used on the helmets of the SS disposable troops, which were made as decals. Some troops also had coats of arms painted on their helmets. After several variations, the final version finally came into force. A white shield with black SS runes was worn on the right side of the helmet and a red shield with a white circle and black swastika was worn on the left. In March 1940 it was decided to remove the sovereign coat of arms on the left for camouflage reasons and in November 1943 the right coat of arms with the SS runes should also be removed. However, this order was no longer obeyed by the armed SS units, so that the majority of the Waffen SS still wore both shields on their steel helmets until the end of the war.
In contrast to the Wehrmacht, the question of camouflaging steel helmets did not even arise during the war for the SS disposable troops. They were provided with a camouflage cover even before the war (1938).
Peaked caps
The current umbrella and plate caps of the General SS were used in the SS available troops. They were used on all occasions where the steel helmet was not expressly required.
Often it was used by officers as a "field cap".
Field caps
As the “new” field troops of the Reich , the available troops also needed “field caps”. However, since they were not supplied by the Wehrmacht leadership in this regard, they resorted to an interim solution. She introduced the old "field caps" of the Imperial Army, which were also available in black and which only had to be supplemented with the SS insignia. This "SS field cap" was used until 1941 until various Wehrmacht field caps were finally taken over.
"Gray service uniforms" of the available troops
1934 to 1937
As early as autumn 1934, a field-gray "tunic" was introduced for officers' ranks (the version corresponded to the black "service coat" of the General SS) and a field-gray "field blouse" was introduced for crew and non-commissioned officers. These were to be worn together with the “brown shirt”, black tie, black service trousers and hat.
When on August 5, 1935, with the consolidation of the political readiness for the new SS regiments "Germany", "Germania" and "Leibstandarte", the formation of the actual available troops began, the SS leadership began on June 6 to equip any existing political readiness and special commandos with "earth-gray" uniforms specially designed for the SS. These were based on the 1932 army uniform of the Wehrmacht and had SS-typical features. Initially, only the right shoulder piece was worn on top of and together with the " SS armband " with the gray uniform. But only a short time later, Himmler issued the order that the armband should only be worn in combination with the black uniform.
Furthermore, the military leaders of the available troops at Himmler had enforced that, following the military model, two shoulder pieces should also be worn on the earthy gray uniform.
1937 to 1943
In 1937 this earth-gray uniform was given up in favor of the current field-gray Wehrmacht uniform, although it was not finally withdrawn by the SS leadership in Berlin until 1941 . The swastika armband was originally worn with this field-gray uniform, which was now equipped with two shoulder pieces as standard. But as early as autumn of the same year, a specially created SS sleeve eagle was introduced as the “national emblem” of the SS and was worn instead of the armband. The execution of this sleeve eagle corresponded to the eagle in the box locks of the team ranks.
After the "SS leader's paddock" proved too unsuitable for active "field service", many officers switched to using the regular officers' paddock of the Wehrmacht, which was closed with a "two-pin lock" and was better suited for military purposes.
Uniforms of the guards / SS-Totenkopfverband
Black uniform 1933 to 1935
The uniform of the later SS-Totenkopfverband corresponded to the uniform of the General SS or the disposal force. The members of the guards were all members of the SS and the NSDAP.
Originally, the members wore the black uniform of the General SS. However, it differed significantly from this in that, since May 1934 , the members of the SS guard units had been wearing empty collar tabs on their collars and no storm tape on their left forearms . This can be explained solely by the fact that no separate insignia had yet been designed for them. So it happened that the SS guards initially only wore the black uniform and the skull on their caps. This fact was reflected in them in the mysteriously weathered designation "Totenkopf-SS". But that soon changed: The “ Upper Bavaria Guard ” received a collar tab with the Latin letter “D” (for Dachau) and the other guard units now wore the mirror of the political readiness in whose sphere of influence the concentration camp they were guarding lay and which they were were organizationally subordinate. They were now also given their own sleeve strips, which now contained the name of the affected area in which the concentration camp to be guarded was located. Until the beginning of World War II on 1 September 1939 next to this black service uniform and several were Outgoing suits , dress uniforms , company suits and white summer skirts of crew and officer ranks output.
Depending on the length of service or the origin of a member of the guards or the skull and crossbones, a large number of "arm brackets" could be worn on the uniform.
In 1935 a special sleeve stripe was introduced at the guard association "Upper Bavaria": A skull badge was affixed to the new sleeve stripe of the guard association.
Since March 29, 1936, the SS guards were officially called SS-Totenkopfverbände (official full form: SS-Totenkopf-Wachverbände ), after this term was already widespread among the population for these guards. They received from Hitler the "special right" to wear the SS skull on the right collar tab of their uniform.
Earth brown uniform 1935 to 1941
From August 1935–37 (sometimes until the beginning of the war), an earth-brown uniform with a cap (in the same cut as the black uniform) was introduced for the death's head guards, which was only allowed to be worn in the so-called "camp service", i.e. only in the concentration camp . However, Theodor Eicke decreed that the shoulder straps of the SS available troops were to be worn with this new uniform. It was worn with the same badge as the black, but mostly without a swastika armband. After 1937 it was largely replaced by the field gray uniform of the available troops.
The front formations set up in autumn 1939 temporarily wore the skull on both collar tabs, according to which they too were equipped with the army shoulder flaps.
After the SS-Totenkopf-Division had made a name for itself purely as a combat unit at the front, the concentration camp guards were again subordinated to them in accordance with the sold-book method at the beginning of 1942. This means that the camp guards now also received the current uniforms of the Waffen SS and their pay books. The division staff of the associations popularly known as the “ Totenkopf SS ” then complained massively to Himmler . He finally considered introducing a separate collar tab in the form of a double swastika for the guard tower, while the skull should only belong to the fighting front associations of the skull associations.
Uniforms of the SS Heimwehr Danzig
When the SS Heimwehr was set up in the summer of 1939, it usually wore the police uniforms of the Free City of Danzig . This was only supplemented by the corresponding SS insignia. In addition, the regular white and reed green Drillich (“work uniform”) of the SS units were worn.
With the dissolution of the Danzig Home Guard in autumn 1939, its members took over the uniforms of the SS death's head associations with all their effects. Former members of the later SS-Totenkopf-Division were entitled from 1940 to wear a cuff with the inscription "SS-Heimwehr Danzig" as a traditional cuff.
Uniforms of the "SS Volunteer Associations"
The non-German Waffen-SS units usually wore the regular uniforms of the Waffen-SS with all their effects. As a rule, there were only deviations in the deviation of the right collar tab, which was often a special design.
On the left upper arm, a “national coat of arms” of the respective nations was worn below the sleeve eagle .
Associations and units that did not have special mirrors used the standard version of the Waffen-SS with the double Sig runes.
In November 1944, the Wehrmacht's Cossack associations were subordinated to the Waffen-SS . However, these continued to wear their national Cossack costumes with the military force effects.
Storm baggage
Since they were set up in 1933, armed units of the SS also brought in the Reichswehr's storm baggage . However, a black version had been introduced for them, corresponding to the uniform.
This storm baggage consisted of:
- a black knapsack with a strap
- a wool blanket with a black cover
- Dinnerware straps
- Tent sheet, tent pole and pegs
- line
- Canteen
- the actual eating utensils and
- the field cutlery
With the adoption of the gray uniforms in the available troops, the regular Wehrmacht version was used by her, which was also used by the Waffen-SS.
Uniforms of the security police and the SD
Uniforms of the SS security service
The members of the SD generally wore the black uniform of the General SS in peacetime and the field gray uniform of the Waffen SS in wartime. The right collar tab of the uniform, however, was blank, which meant that no symbol or badge was worn in the black field. This practice was used for all SS organizations for which a separate symbol had not yet been designed or whose final status within the SS had not yet been determined. Since 1935, the members of the SD wore a black diamond sleeve with the letters SD on their left forearm.
Below was the black sleeve strip, edged in matt white, with the designation SD-Hauptamt for the staff of the Security Main Office and later the Reich Security Main Office. The SD members of the upper and lower sections wore a black sleeve strip, edged in matt white, without any lettering.
They were all registered members of the General SS. Until around 1937 they wore the Nazi brown shirt with their uniform, which was replaced by a white shirt in 1937/1938.
Until 1942 it was customary to wear the shoulder pieces of the General SS on field gray uniforms, only from this point on did the crew and non-commissioned officers wear the green-highlighted shoulder pieces of the German Police. Furthermore, it was forbidden for the non-commissioned officers to wear collar braids and arm brackets.
Security Police Uniforms
In contrast to the members of the SD, the employees of the Security Police were not registered members of the General SS. They only belonged to the Schutzstaffel through their office and were affiliated with the SD in the RSHA . The members of the security police generally wore the uniforms of the SD in peacetime when on-site duty , provided that they were assigned to it through " rank adjustment ".
On the left forearm of the uniform, the employees of the security police, who were assigned to the SD, wore a matt-white bordered black sleeve diamond with the white letters SD .
Below that was the black sleeve strip, edged in matt white, with the designation SD-Hauptamt for the staff of the Reich Security Main Office.
Until 1942 it was customary to wear the shoulder pieces of the General SS on field gray uniforms, only from this point on did the crew and non-commissioned officers wear the green-highlighted shoulder pieces of the German Police. Furthermore, it was forbidden for the non-commissioned officers to wear collar braids and arm brackets.
Insignia of the armed SS units, the security police and the SD
Collar tabs and epaulettes
In its early days as the “SS-Sonderverband”, the members of the SS disposable troops wore the regular SS rankings . The right collar tab, however, differed from that of the General SS, as it was strongly based on that of the former political readiness. Thus, independent collar tabs and sleeve strips were designed for the SS disposable troops, which had their role models in the effects of the "Sonderkommandos" and "Politische Preparionen" (whereby the numbers or letters named after the SS were always subordinated):
- Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler" = SS
- SS standard "Germany" = SS 1
- SS standard "Germania" = SS 2 and after March 1938
- SS standard "Der Führer" = SS 3
The mirrors for pioneer, intelligence and medical units were taken over by the General SS and only the SS runes were added in the mirror.
Permanent members of the staff of the newly created SS Junker Schools wore “SS T ” (“SS School Tölz”) and “SS B ” (“SS School Braunschweig”) on their collar tabs .
In the course of the introduction of the new SS rank of SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer in April 1942, the collar tabs were redesigned from the position of SS-Standartenführer.
The following right-hand collars or standard mirrors were made for the Waffen-SS during the war and approved by Hitler:
- SS = All units for which no special mirror badge has been designed
- SS T and SS B = SS School Tölz and Braunschweig ( SS Junker Schools )
- Totenkopf = Totenkopfverband / SS Division Totenkopf
- upright lion with ax = SS Volunteer Legion Norway
- Wolfsangel = SS Volunteer Legion Netherlands
- Triskele = SS Volunteer Legion Flanders
- Sun gear = SS division Nordland
- Odalrune = SS Division Prinz Eugen
- Saber (Handschar) with swastika = SS-Division Handschar
- upright lion in blue with three crowns = SS division Galicia
- Swastika with three stars in sunbeams = 15th SS division
- E with sword or E with armored arm and sword = 20th SS division
- SA battle rune = SS division Horst Wessel
- Cornflower = SS Division Maria Theresia
- Danish flag = Freikorps Danmark
- H = SS division Hunyadi
- Crossed carbines over hand grenades = SS Brigade Dirlewanger / Combat group Dora
- flaming grenade = Landstorm Nederland
- Bow of a Viking ship = 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
- three lying lions = British Freikorps
- Helmet and goat head = 21st Waffen Mountain Division Skanderbeg
- Sun wheel = 23rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Kama
- Burgundy Cross = 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonia
- Wolfskopf = 30th Waffen Grenadier Division / East Turkish Weapons Association of the SS
- Tiger head = Indian volunteer legion of the SS "Free India"
From the last-mentioned collar tabs, from incl. Div. Wiking, you know that it is in production, but not whether it was issued in large numbers.
In May 1934 the (single) SS shoulder piece was introduced in all armed SS units. But as early as 1935, their commanders were able to get Himmler to wear it on both sides according to the military model. Shortly before the German invasion of Austria , Heinrich Himmler asked the command corps of the available troops at the beginning of March 1938 to remove the SS epaulets from their uniforms and to replace them with the regular army service flaps (including the corresponding weapon color). The SS epaulettes were only withheld from all "SS leaders" in the main offices who were now also wearing the current uniform of the SS available troops in the "location service" . From May 1940, Waffen SS officers from the rank of brigade leader were also entitled to put on the appropriate army shoulder pieces. This also meant that the last SS shoulder pieces in the armed SS units were dropped. Relatives in the main SS offices and in the staffs of the SS Reich leadership, on the other hand, wore the shoulder boards of the General SS with gray uniforms until the end of the war (1945).
Sleeve eagle
The sleeve eagle was officially introduced on March 7, 1936, but was not issued for the first time until early 1937. When the General SS took over the gray uniforms of the available troops, the sleeve eagle also became common in the rest of the SS.
The sleeve eagle was basically hand-embroidered and lay on a black background. For the crew and NCO ranks the sleeve eagle was made of matt white thread, for officers of aluminum thread.
In 1939 the old sleeve eagle was given up in favor of a new SS eagle, which now corresponded to the eagle on the service hats. Although the old sleeve eagle has not been issued since 1940 and was withdrawn from 1940, photo documents from the time of the Second World War have come down to us that the eagle was still used in the SS until 1945. Initially, the new sleeve eagle was also hand-embroidered, but they quickly switched to having it machine-woven by the Wuppertal company BeVo . While the team and NCO ranks continued to wear the eagle made of matt white thread, the officer version (with aluminum thread) was basically hand-embroidered.
Sleeve diamonds
In the course of the further militarization of the armed SS units, the "activity badges" (also known as "special career badges") of the Wehrmacht were introduced in 1938. Since the sleeve diamonds worn in the SS could already be derived from these, this is a completion.
The difference between them, however, was that the new badges, as usual with the Wehrmacht, were made in oval design. It was not until 1941 that they, too, were made in a diamond shape, typical of the SS. In addition, the SS sleeve diamonds of the General SS were also worn in the armed SS and independent ones such as the sleeve diamond of the skull and crossbones were developed and introduced.
- Skull associations: From the rank of standard leader and members of the skull associations who were transferred to the staff of the SS main offices, an SD-like sleeve diamond with an embroidered skull symbol was worn.
Sleeve stripes
Sleeve stripes were introduced to the armed SS units in 1935. They essentially corresponded to those of the General SS, different companies were represented by different colors. They usually bore the standard name or so-called " honorary name ".
SS disposable troops
Lettering:
- Adolf Hitler ( Gothic font until May 1940): 1. SS standard "Adolf Hitler" (popularly: Adolf Hitler standard); Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
- Adolf Hitler ( Sütterlin from May 1940): Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
- Germany: 1st SS Regiment
- Germania: 2nd SS Regiment
- The Führer: 3rd SS Regiment
- SS-Schule Tölz (Gothic script): SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz
- SS School Tölz (Sütterlin): SS Junk School Bad Tölz
- SS school Braunschweig (Gothic script): SS Junkerschule Braunschweig
- SS School Braunschweig (Sütterlin): SS Junk School Braunschweig
- SS Administrative School Dachau (Fraktur): SS Administrative School
SS guards
Black uniform 1933 to 1945
- 1933-1935
- Beginning of 1933 to May 1934: The regular sleeve stripes of the respective SS units from which the members of the guards came from
- May 1934 to 1935: no sleeve stripes
- 1935 to 1936: inscription * Upper Bavaria , symbol ** skull , inscription Elbe , inscription Saxony , inscription Ostfriesland , inscription Brandenburg
- 1936 to 1945
- Skull Standard I: Upper Bavaria
- Skull Standard II: Brandenburg
- Dead Standard III: Thuringia
- Skull Standard IV: Ostmark
- Skull Standard V: Dietrich Eckart ***
Remarks:
*) all inscriptions in Gothic script and for all ranks
**) This sleeve strip was only worn in the Upper Bavaria Guard Association by members of all ranks who have been part of the Guard Association since 1933 ( traditional arm band)
***) All units drawn up according to this skull standard usually wore an empty sleeve strip, as they were not assigned a standard name as official "Reinforced SS skull standards" or as "SS police reinforcements". The only exceptions were the reserve skull standard "Upper Bavaria" in Dachau and the "SS standard K" in Norway .
Special clothing
Camouflage clothing
- Main article: Flecktarn
The first samples of camouflage clothing were tested by the SS-Einsatzstruppe (regiment "Germany") as early as December 1937 and made mandatory in January 1938. For example, pictures of the “Germany” regiment are known, which show it completely in camouflage clothing during a maneuver in Munsterlager in 1938. As early as 1939, most of the Waffen-SS units were equipped with these camouflage uniforms, which differed significantly from the Wehrmacht camouflage uniforms that were only introduced in 1942/1943.
The uniforms of the postal security
The responsibility of the Deutsche Reichspost (officially: "Reichsministerium für das Post- und Telegrrafenwesen") included all post, telegraph and telephone services, as well as part of German broadcasting.
In March 1933, the company's own “ postal protection ” was added to these . This was responsible for the security of the post and telegraph offices of the empire . At the same time, new uniforms were introduced for the Reichspost, which consisted of a dark blue jacket (officially called "Joppe") and a peaked cap, as well as black trousers and shoes. A white shirt and a dark blue tie were worn under the "jacket". In addition to the imperial post uniforms, rank badges based on the military model were also introduced. On the left sleeve, in a black oval, the new German Reich coat of arms was carried in golden yellow color, with the inscription "Deutsche Reichspost" added.
The "postal security" itself was equipped with a field gray uniform. He received his own rank badges based on those of the SA and SS. The "emblem of the German Reichspost" was worn on the left sleeve, supplemented by the symbols of the "telegraphy and broadcasting system" (a bundle of "lightning bolts" that lay under the wings of the eagle) and which was now in an orange oval.
The service uniform of the postal service in the areas occupied from 1939 onwards differed considerably in color from the requirements of the Reich official, and their rank badges should now be based on the rank tables developed by the Rosenberg staff . In the east, for example, uniforms of the German Reichspost dyed brown and an SS-like black sleeve strip with the orange-colored inscription “Postschutz” were used.
In March 1942, postal security was removed from the sovereignty of the Reich Ministry of Post and taken over by Heinrich Himmler's SS. From May / April 1942 he was in the SS ranks and was subordinated to Gottlob Bergers' SS supplementary office as "SS post protection" .
See also
- protection Squad
- holocaust
- SS uniforms
- Organizational structure of the SS
- NS ranks
- Uniforms of the Wehrmacht
literature
- Andrew Mollo, Hugh Page Taylor: Uniforms of the SS. Volume 3: SS-Einsatzstruppe 1933–1939. 3. Edition. Windrow & Greene, 1991.
- Andrew Mollo: Uniforms of the SS. Volume 4: SS-Totenkopfverbände 1933-1945. 2nd Edition. Windrow & Greene, 1991.
- Andrew Mollo: Uniforms of the SS. Volume 5: Security Service and Security Police 1931–1945. 2nd Edition. Windrow & Greene, 1992.
- Andrew Mollo: Uniforms of the SS. Volume 6: Waffen-SS Clothing and Equipment 1939-1945. 2nd Edition. Windrow & Greene, 1992.
- Liliane and Fred Funcken: L'Uniforme et les armes des soldiers de la guerre 1939–1945. Volume 2, Casterman Publishing House, 1973.
- Liliane and Fred Funcken: L'Uniforme et les armes des soldiers de la guerre 1939–1945. Volume 3, Casterman Publishing House, 1974.
- Gordon Williamson: The Waffen SS 1933-1945 - A manual. Tosa Verlag, Vienna 2005, pp. 84–119.
- Brian L. Davis, Ian Westwall: German Uniforms and Badges 1933–1945. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2006.
- Andrew Steven, Peter Amodio: Waffen SS - Uniforms in Color. Publisher Karl-Heinz Dissberger, Düsseldorf 1992.
Individual evidence
- ^ Heiner Wember: re-education in the camp. Internment and punishment of National Socialists in the British zone of occupation in Germany. Essen 1991, ISBN 3-88474-152-7 , p. 152. (Düsseldorf publications on the modern history of North Rhine-Westphalia; vol. 30)
- ↑ Andrew Mollo: The Uniforms of the Waffen SS. Podzun-Verlag, 1993, ISBN 3-7909-0490-2 , p. 7.
- ^ SS order of May 10, 1940. Concerning: Field gray uniform of the Waffen SS, the Security Police and the SD, I. Waffen SS, item 9.
- ↑ Order of the Waffen-SS, No. 6 of April 1, 1941, item 159
- ↑ Order of the Waffen-SS, No. 21 of November 1, 1943, item 402
- ^ Andrew Mollo: Uniforms of the SS. Vol. 4: SS-Totenkopfverbände 1933–1945. P. 28.
- ↑ Gordan Williamson: The Waffen SS 1933-1945 - A manual. Pp. 114/115.
- ↑ Andrew Mollo: The Uniforms of the Waffen SS. Podzun-Verlag, ISBN 3-7909-0490-2 , p. 51.
- ↑ Herbert Walther : Divisions of the Waffen SS in action. Podzun-Pallas, 1993, ISBN 3-7909-0260-8 , p. 10.